Passing notes
by aonalion
Summary: Jonouchi is bored in class and decides to send notes to Kaiba, who is sitting right next to him. But of course he couldn't have known what consequences it would have. Jonouchi X Kaiba if you squint, oneshot.


**A/N:** My beta is away for a few days and I didn't feel like uploading an un-betaed chapter of 'Mirror, mirror', so here's a small oneshot instead!  
>To my GXers (if I still have any, that is [you mah homies!]) I am sorry for the puppyshipping spam. They're just such a grateful couple to write about! I mean, I can picture them in so many situations. And Johan and Judai can only trip and fall ontop of each other so many times, you know? xD<br>But I've decided to take GX suggestions again, so tell me what your fav GX pairing is and maybe I'll write about it! (You know I can't promise I will, though.)

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><p>Kaiba had been tapping away at his computer, not listening to the teacher (it wasn't as if he needed it) when a single paper in the shape of a plane landed on his desk. He knew immediately who it was from, really, depending on the way the plane had landed there was only one person it <em>could<em> be from. Jonouchi was probably bored and wanted to annoy him, but when he shot a glance at the blond's direction he at least _appeared_ to have his full attention directed towards the teacher.

Only mildly interested, Kaiba picked up the note and unfolded it. He read the single sentence written on it, and then blinked. He read it again, and then blinked again.

'_Manual blinking activated.'_

Kaiba could instantly feel how dry his eyes were, and how dry the skin around his eyes was. How long ago was it that he blinked? Maybe he should blink again? How often did you normally blink?

When he glanced at Jonouchi he saw that the blond was desperately trying to hide a smile. That annoying mutt!

Kaiba thought for a beat and then wrote something down on the paper, carelessly tossing it back to the blond. Jonouchi caught it in mid-air and cheerfully unfolded it.

'_Manual breathing activated.'_

Jonouchi suddenly became painfully aware of every breath he took, and it almost felt as if it became harder to breathe. How long ago was it that he breathed? Maybe he should breathe again? How often did you normally breathe? He growled as he realized he had fallen into his own trap and didn't even have to see Kaiba's face to imagine the smirk on it.

'_Jerk,'_ was the only thing he sent back. He hadn't really expected a reply, but he got one.

'_You started.'_

'_Whatever. What is she even talking about?'_

Kaiba immediately understood he was talking about the teacher. Instead of getting mad at the blond for not listening he decided to be honest. He would've liked to continue working, but now that Jonouchi had found an effective way of hindering him he probably wouldn't be able to get anything done. He only had to _think_ about the first sentence to start blinking like a maniac again, and Jonouchi could always send him more and more notes.

'_I don't know.'_

'_You weren't listening?'_

'_No. It's not like I need it. I think you do, however.'_

'_Shut up.'_

Kaiba smiled a little at the paper. He could tell when Jonouchi got mad – his handwriting got sloppier and a little more slanted. Almost instantly after the first one, the brunet got another note from Jonouchi, as if he wanted to add something. His handwriting was a bit neater this time.

'_This is soooo boring.'_

'_Maybe it would be more interesting if you actually paid attention.'_

'_You__'re not paying attention, how are you even putting up with this? What are you doing on that laptop anyway?'_

'_Work.'_

'_That's it? Sounds even boringer.'_

'… _It's "more boring". And it has to be done.'_

Jonouchi grimaced at the correction but decided to ignore it. He definitely hadn't expected to start a whole conversation with Kaiba, here in the middle of class. But hey, maybe the brunet was secretly bored too.

'_You really need to relax once in a while, Kaiba.'_

'_Oh? And just how would I do that?'_

'_I dunno. Do something with Mokuba; take him to the carnival or something. Or you could always hang out with us sometime.' _Jonouchi didn't know why he wrote that and regretted it almost immediately afterwards. But he couldn't erase it or scribble it out; it would still be visible, and Kaiba would wonder why he wrote it in the first place.

'_With you? Can I?'_

The reply took a bit longer this time.

'_Yeah sure, I guess.'_

'_You hesitated.'_

The blond rolled his eyes at the response – really, what had Kaiba been expecting?

'_Of course I hesitated. You're not exactly the friendliest person I know; you saying that you'd like to hang out sometime is a little suspicious!'_

'_It is?'_

Jonouchi didn't reply, instead he waited until Kaiba finally glanced over at him, wondering why the response took such a long time. The blond cautiously nodded towards Kaiba and then handed him the paper again. Their fingertips just barely touched.

'_It is.'_

'… _That's it?'_

'_What do you want me to say? That it's so weird and freaky how you can be so kind towards your little brother while being completely ruthless towards your enemies? That I'm kind of worried for Mokuba's sake since I don't know if you're really that nice towards him or if that's just when you're in public? That sometimes I wonder what it would be like to really know you, to be friends with you?'_

Kaiba frowned at the paper. Jonouchi's handwriting was sloppier here too; not because he was mad but because he had been writing really fast. There was another sentence written below, but it was both erased and crossed out, and Kaiba could just barely make out what it was saying:

'_I wish I knew you better.'_

He sent his reply back to Jonouchi.

'_Do you really feel that way?'_

Immediately as Jonouchi got the note Kaiba heard a deep sigh from the blond. Moments later, he got the paper back.

'_I guess I do.'_

'_For how long?'_

'_Always? No, not always. I hated you at first, I really did… but that faded pretty fast.'_

'_Why didn't you do something?'_

Jonouchi had to turn the paper over and write on the backside – the other side was so full.

'_Do what? Besides, I thought you hated me. You still do, don't you?'_

'_I've never hated you.'_

The blond simply stared at the paper, trying to process the last sentence written by Kaiba. He… never hated him? Jonouchi furiously scribbled something down and tossed the note back to the brunet.

'_Then why the hell did you insult me and call me all those things all the time?'_

'_I just thought it was funny at the time! Your reaction was always __priceless__. Besides, it's not like you didn't insult me back.'_

'_I only did that because you started.'_

'"_You started", oh yeah, that's very mature.'_

'_Shut up.'_

Kaiba read the simple two words written by Jonouchi with an almost sad expression on his face. The words weren't slanted, and his handwriting wasn't sloppy; he had written it really slowly, almost hesitantly. Kaiba never hated the blond, and he thought Jonouchi knew that. They were only messing around, testing each other's strength and trying to figure out just how much it took for the other to snap. In Jonouchi's case, that wasn't very much.

Kaiba tapped his finger against the desk for a moment and then spun his pencil around a few times. Finally, he slowly wrote down the sentence he partly dreaded and partly really wanted to say.

'_Look, for what it's worth… I'm sorry.'_

'_You are?'_

'_Yes.'_

Jonouchi stared at the paper. What was this, Kaiba apologizing? That was unheard of; something had to be wrong here. Kaiba would probably take the paper and use it against him somehow. He wasn't exactly sure just how the brunet would do that, but he still probably would. It was just like him. And _this_ was definitely not like him.

'_I don't believe you.'_

'_I understand.'_

The answer came immediately, almost as if Kaiba had known what Jonouchi would reply. It bothered Jonouchi, but he wasn't sure why.

Meanwhile, Kaiba was waiting for a response from the blond. He was tapping his fingers against his desk again, which probably increased the chance of the teacher noticing their exchange of notes, but at the moment he didn't care. Jonouchi could be so stubborn. But if the blond really felt that way, like he couldn't trust him when he was being nice, then Kaiba guessed he couldn't blame him. Still, it was making him nervous for a reason he didn't quite understand. Since when did he care about what Jonouchi thought about him?

When he actually got the paper back he almost ripped it apart unfolding it. His hands were suddenly trembling, but all his nervousness disappeared when he saw what was written on the paper.

Jonouchi had crossed out both his and Kaiba's last lines – the 'I don't believe you' and 'I understand' ones, and written this instead:

'_Apology accepted.'_

Kaiba let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, carefully wrote down two words and handed the note back to the blond.

'_Thank you.'_

Jonouchi couldn't help but smile a little when he saw Kaiba's response. But he didn't write anything down and send it back – there wasn't anything else that needed to be said. And only minutes later, the bell rung and the students ran off, since it had been their final class. Neither Jonouchi nor Kaiba looked at each other; they didn't even say good bye, and the blond left with Yugi and Honda, while Kaiba stayed behind for a moment, putting away his laptop. Once he was done he headed for the door – but something caught his attention.

There was a crumpled up paper lying at the top of the garbage in the trash can, and without really thinking, Kaiba quickly bent down and picked it up. It was their paper of course – _their_ paper. The brunet smiled ever so slightly as he read through the conversation again. Then he carefully straightened out the paper before folding it and putting it into his pocket, and then he left as well.


End file.
